A mansion, a circle, some friends & a few temples in the South

To wrap up my report on our trip to the southern states, I wanted to report on several very interesting but totally unrelated places we visited.

A mansion - and oh, what a mansion it was - The Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina is the largest private home in the United States on 3000 acres of private forested land. It reminded us of the castles in England. It was built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt who was a single bachelor at the time. He soon married Edith (lucky lady) and they had one daughter named Cornelia who grew up in this home, married, and had two children of her own while living there. It was a home of hospitality and gracious living. Take a look at this video to learn more and to see inside the house. We spent most of one day wandering around the fabulous gardens and estate of the Vanderbilts that is now open to the public. It was amazing!


A circle - what historically important things have happened on that circle in the country music industry at the Grand Ole Opry.
Since we aren't huge country music fans, we learned a lot and gained a greater appreciation. The six-foot circle of dark, oak wood in the Opry House stage is shiny but clearly well worn. Cut from the stage of the Opry's famous former home, the Ryman Auditorium, this circle gives newcomers and veterans alike the opportunity to sing on the same spot that once supported Uncle Dave Macon, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, Minny Pearl and others. We enjoyed our backstage tour and walked in the steps of the greats. We also learned that country singers can perform at the Opry, but they have to be invited to join and that not all country singers are members. Who knew?



We stayed with some great friends (Corey & Lindsey and girls) outside of Dallas. We arrived one evening and had a great visit. The next morning we got to participate with them in a service project planting around 3,000 flags at their community center to commemorate 9/11 and all the people who lost their lives. We served along with a bunch of their neighbors and ward friends. It was fun to see their lovely home and to spend some time together before going to the BYU Texas game.

Temples - I was surprised to learn that LDS temples dot the southern states. We drove by two in Memphis and Nashville, TN and learned that there are several more located in states we visited including Atlanta, GA ~ Birmingham, AL ~ Raleigh, NC ~ Columbia, SC ~ with five temples in Texas, one in Baton Rouge, LA ~ Orlando FL & Louisville, KN. Check out this cool map.